


From the life of a tattoo artist

by hurtsyfiction



Category: Hurts (UK Band)
Genre: M/M, Tattoo, bluebird - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 20:10:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10226270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurtsyfiction/pseuds/hurtsyfiction
Summary: Maybe you were wondering how Theo got his bluebird tattoo. Maybe not. Anyway, this is the story of the tattoo artist who made it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously this is only fictional.

Benjamin David Foster was a tattoo artist for many years now. He had always been passionate about this form of creative outlet and at the young age of sixteen, he had started with his first tattoos. 

Of course, he had first of all tried it out on himself and luckily on places which weren’t visible in his normal everyday life because oh boy did they look crappy. Later, as he had gotten better at it, he had also tried it on some friends of his’, who back then thought it was just the coolest thing. Admittedly, when he saw those tattoos, of which he had been pretty proud at the beginning of his tattoo career, now, it made him flinch. 

But everyone starts from scratch, right? And to get better at what you do and love, you have to keep trying and trying. Sure, there will be lows and it wasn’t any different for Benjamin. He as well had had his times where he thought he’d quit. Difficult times where he had barely any money. But the passion for tattooing kept him going and look where he’s now. He’s got his own studio and people are so hooked by his style of tattooing, that he’s booked up for months in advance. 

Anyway, today he had a quite popular customer. Theo from the band Hurts. He wanted a bluebird on his ribcage and said he’d bring his friend and bandmate Adam with him, as emotional support.

Ben had put up his headphones, played his favourite music on full volume and started drawing some drafts. He had to admit that he had to look up bluebirds on google for that, as he had never actually heard of their existence in the first place. But oh, if only bluebirds were the weirdest thing he got asked to tattoo.

Anyway, after some slight difficulties in the first attempt, he soon had finished some sketches he was happy with. As he looked up onto the clock, he saw that it was 10:27 am already. So he had just enough time to accredit himself a nice cup of coffee before his appointment at 11 am.

+++

The two men punctually arrived at the tattoo studio and Ben was nicely surprised. He had had some famous customers before and some had a quite diva like behaviour and were late without even apologizing. As if he wanted something from them and not the other way round. 

Anyway, this Theo and his friend seemed sympathetically to him already. Even though Theo did look a bit nervous, but who could blame him. After all he was about to be tattooed on one of the most painful spots one could even pick.

However, the man had shown his customer his sketches and the singer had quickly decided for the draft of the bluebird with his wings sprawled out. Pleased with this decision, as Ben liked this one the most as well, he prepared a stencil with the favoured motive while the two men already went into the tattoo room.

A few minutes later, he joined them and shaved the man’s fine hair from the chosen spot on his ribcage, before he applied the stencil. After the singer had checked and approved the position in front of the mirror, he took place on the comfy looking seat and Benjamin got a pair of disposable gloves and his needles ready. 

+++ two hours later +++

“Want me to hold your hand?”, Adam asked his mate, more jokingly than actually being serious, but in the next moment Theo had already grabbed one of his hands and held on to it tightly.

“Oh fucking hell.”, the man groaned and tried to breathe evenly, despite the pain.

Noticing his customer’s agony, Ben stopped tattooing and turned off the tattoo machine. He had already applied some numbing gel onto the reddened spot on the man’s body but the effect hadn’t really lasted long.

“You know, if it’s that unbearable for you, maybe we should just call it a day and set another appointment for next week?”, he suggested.

“To be honest, I’m surprised you could even take it that long as your tattoo is quite big and I’ve had people collapse at way smaller ones. The ribcage is an unbelievably painful spot to tattoo.”, Ben added.

“No!”, his customer quickly gave back.

“No.”, Theo repeated himself. “It has to get finished today. I won’t be in town anymore next week. We’ll head to Germany tomorrow.”, the singer replied through clenched teeth.

“Alright then. Just a few more minutes. I’ll try to make this as fast as possible.”, Benjamin replied and activated his machine again.

Honestly, he knew it weren’t just “a few more minutes” and the singer probably knew that as well but if he’d just say that often enough, they’d be done eventually.

Ben saw the pained expression on the man’s face as he set the sharp tip of the angrily humming machine to his skin again.

+++ 20 minutes later +++

“Oh my goooooood”, Theo groaned in pain and tormented his poor friend’s hand, which by now surely had no proper blood circulation anymore.

“Adam, please distract me.”, he mumbled through gritted teeth, his forehead sweaty and eyes tightly shut.

“What? How? What am I supposed to do?”, Adam gave back, having no idea how to help his mate and seeming totally overstrained with the current situation.

“I don’t know… Tell me something. Anything. A joke, what you had for breakfast- Fuck, I really don’t care just please do something!”, the singer almost sobbed.

The man was already shivering all over, the skin in the area of the tattoo heavily reddened. Ben quickly glanced at the singer’s friend and saw the despair in his face. He seemed helpless looking at his pained mate. Of course he wanted to help the other but what on earth was he supposed to do? Would a detailed description of scrambled eggs with bacon be enough to distract the singer from the pain? Very doubtable.

Suddenly Ben held his breath, as he saw how Adam leaned down and kissed his pained friend on the mouth. Quickly but gently. At that unforeseen action, he stopped his machine and noticed how Theo froze in an instant. His band mate’s face turned a bright shade of red as he hastily pulled back again, his free hand quickly coming up to cover his mouth and eyes wide open. He seemed quite horrified at his own action. 

However, said man’s anguished friend still did not move. Seemed like the rather unusual form of distraction really did help.

After Ben had shaken himself out of it and had finally set the needle to his customer’s skin again, he didn’t hear any curse or complaint or actually any other sound come out of the singer’s mouth. He almost seemed paralysed, his face seeming peaceful, the agony gone. Luckily, he was still breathing though and thus, the tattoo artist quickly took advantage of it and continued to finish his work. 

As he was almost done, he noticed the singer blink a bit irritated. Seemed like he was back to earth again.

“Thanks”, the man eventually uttered after what felt like an eternity, his face slightly flushed.

“Don’t mention it.”, Adam croaked, his voice a bit higher than usual and blushed heavily, avoiding to look at his mate.

By the way the man had said this, Ben thought to himself that what he actually meant was “Never, under no circumstances ever, bring up this incident.”

“I’ll uhh… I’ll just wait outside.”, the older man uttered and let go of Theo’s hand, which now had loosened it’s tight grip on his own.

+++

As the singer and his band mate had left the shop, Ben’s thoughts still lingered on them for a moment. He briefly wondered if the two actually were a couple but quickly dismissed this assumption again because they hadn’t seemed like that. Despite the kiss. 

There certainly was a great chemistry between them though, Benjamin could tell that, even after only briefly getting to know them. After all, you don’t take anyone to the tattoo studio with you. At least not when you’re sober and clear thinking. It had to be someone special, someone who’d most likely see you in pain and very vulnerable.

He also had to admit that, just visually speaking, they’d make a nice couple, actually. He couldn’t help but wonder if they’d ever talk about what had happened today or just remain silent about it. Maybe they’d even- Wait. God fucking damn it, he really needed to stop. Was he seriously starting to ship his customers? Bloody hell, he had definitely read too much Johnlock fiction the night before.

Benjamin quickly shook himself out of it and focused onto the artwork he was preparing for his next customer. The guy wanted a rotting looking zombie on his back. That’d hopefully distract him for a while.


End file.
